


Something on my Doorstep

by ZombieCyborgAssassin



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Absent Parent, DumE - Freeform, One Shot, Step-parents, Unrequited, What Have I Done, what even is this?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-10
Updated: 2017-08-10
Packaged: 2018-12-13 15:26:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11762814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZombieCyborgAssassin/pseuds/ZombieCyborgAssassin
Summary: Darcy is surprised to find something on her doorstep.





	Something on my Doorstep

**Author's Note:**

> I'm working on one shots at the moment to better my writing skills. I may extend some of these at a later stage.  
> The prompt that inspired this odd piece of work was "Something unexpected is left on the doorstep."  
> I don't own any of the characters, I'm just borrowing them to write weirdness.

Rolling her neck, Darcy put another scribbled on napkin on the ‘done’ pile of junk that Jane had written on, and focused on the next napkin.

She and Jane had been working from a tiny 1 bedroom shack in the middle of the South Australian desert for the past 3 months studying the something galaxy’s ultraviolet radiation waves or whatever. It was nice because it meant they managed to avoid winter all together, but it was hot as balls down here.

Jane’s timing for moving them from the Avengers new home base was suspiciously convenient, considering it coincided with the rather unmistakably passionate reunion of Tony Stark and Pepper Pots. A reunion that was more painful for Darcy than she ever would have suspected.

See, it was with the absolute disapproval of her brain that Darcy’s heart had chosen to have Feelings (with a capitol F) for the charismatic playboy billionaire genius. Darcy had done everything she could to fight them; she was after all, allergic to feelings, and it seemed as was the aforementioned genius. This is why she never let herself infect him with her feelings.

But, according to the Billionaire and CEO’s PDAs that had Darcy vomiting a little in the back of her throat, he was already infected with Virginia’s feelings long before Darcy ever had the privilege to Science!Wrangle the engineer.

A loud thump at the door startled Darcy out of her contemplation of Jane’s esoteric scribbles. It didn’t sound like someone knocking, it sounded like someone had thrown something at it.

Sighing, she quickly saved the file she was working on and went to open the door. What she found on the doorstep made her want to equally laugh and cry.

DumE; the first robot that Tony had ever created, a robot that she had babied anytime Tony had yelled at him, a robot that always joined in on her impromptu dance parties, was wheeling around in circles waving his claw around in front of her door in the middle of nowhere.

Before she could even consider how to respond, DumE had grabbed her wrist and began dragging her away from the shack.

“Whoa! Where do you think you’re taking me? How did you even get here?” She asked as she tugged the robot toward the shack, with no success.

Getting more and more confused and frustrated, Darcy shouted, “DumE! Stop!”

Instantly, he was still. His claw let go of her wrist and the robot practically wilted.

“I’m sorry for yelling, DumE.” Darcy gently brushed her fingers across the down turned claw.

“Come on in, it looks like I have a phone call to make.” She sighed.

DumE followed her slowly into the living area of the shack that they had turned into a chaotic lab, and parked in the corner, arm still drooping.

Darcy shook off her sympathetic feelings for the Bot and grabbed her phone. She stared at Tony’s number feeling sick. How does anyone do this? Is there any way she can talk to someone else to do this?

Gasping as the perfect idea popped into her mind, she scrolled to “H” in her contacts list and tapped the name at the top of the list.

She kept her eyes on the dejected robot as she waited for the call to connect.

“Happy Hogan.”

Clearing her throat, Darcy looked down at her converse. “Hey Happy, it’s Darcy. You wouldn’t happen to be looking for DumE are you?”

The silence on the other end was beginning to make her uncomfortable.

Eventually, Happy replied. “Oh, hey Darcy. Aren’t you in Australia with Jane?” she could hear the pity and it rankled.

Happy was one of the few people that knew about her Feelings for Tony, and respectfully said nothing about them. He was the one who scoffed and dismissed Colonel Rhodes when he made the unknowingly painful comment about running DNA to see if she was Tony’s illegitimate daughter.

She bit her lip and looked back up at the Bot in the corner. “I am. And so is DumE. He just turned up on my doorstep.”

“Fuck.” Happy muttered.

Sucking in a deep cleansing breath, Darcy asked, “What’s he doing here Happy?”

“Uh, look. Since you left, DumE has been really sad and really angry at Tony. He’s been throwing and trying to break things. And _obviously_ Tony being Tony doesn’t even know why.” Happy cleared his throat. “You gotta understand, I don’t think Tony even knows he’s missing. FRIDAY only said something to me 2 hours ago. I don’t even know how he got all the way to Australia without having to recharge.”

Frowning, Darcy walked over to inspect DumE, who took her scrutiny as affection and carefully wrapped his arm around Darcy in an awkward but precious hug that made her smile into his camera.

Her brows lifted as she spoke into the phone, “Happy, did Tony upgrade him? It looks like he’s got an Arc Reactor. He didn’t have that the last time I saw him.”

“Huh, I thought he was busy with the new Avengers Initiative.” He replied.

Directly following Happy’s comment, the lilting, yet scornful voice of FRIDAY cut through the conversation.

“Sir was indeed focused on the Avengers Initiative. U, Butterfingers and I decided to give DumE the upgrade so that he could visit with Miss Lewis. He was, as you said, Mr Hogan, rather distraught at Miss Lewis’s departure. Sir was completely oblivious to the extent of happiness Miss Lewis’s presence made all of us. DumE wanted to go visit Miss Lewis, so I commandeered a Quinjet for his use. I didn’t think Sir needed to know that DumE has gone to visit someone who appreciated him.”

The silence that followed was stifling.

With her face screwed up, Darcy asked, “FRIDAY, are you saying I kinda get partial custody of DumE?”

FRIDAY’s voice gained a measure of warmth. “Essentially, yes. Miss Lewis, DumE would like to visit with you every other weekend with your permission. Rest assured I will ensure his safe journey to and from your location.”

Darcy looked at DumE, who somehow managed to portray a beseeching look about him.

“Oh, DumE, I’d love to have you visit.” She said softly.

The Bot immediately began waving his arm around while circling her, causing her to giggle wetly.


End file.
